“Without a deep anchor in ourselves and our bodies, we are adrift in the sea of life, vulnerable to the storms and unexpected distress that can be unlocked at any time by a sensory trigger. Nearly all victims of acute trauma experience extreme disconnection from their bodies. This is where yoga comes in as a potent somatic technique for healing.”

"The practice of asanas improves the muscle strength, mind-body coordination, and balance Further, it improves the blood flow, tissue perfusion and oxygenation, and enhancing functions at cellular level. Meditation and breathing technique calms down the mind, improves the concentration enhancing better work output. By maintaining tranquility of mind, it can promote clear thinking, better judgment, and effective decision making. It also alters the autonomic balance to promote health.... The present study was undertaken to assess the value of short-term practice of yoga and its impact on cardiac autonomic functions. "

"It is the privilege of a lifetime to participate in this important work," said Eleanor Bramwell, founder and executive director of BodyWise Foundation. "We all experience trauma in some form, and I'm honored to be able to speak to how we are impacted by trauma, and how we can unbind or heal this trauma."

“Now, many people who don’t know a lot about trauma think that trauma has something to do with something that happened to you a long time ago. In fact, the past is the past and the only thing that matters is what happens right now. And what is trauma is the residue that a past event leaves in your own sensory experiences in your body and it’s not that event out there that becomes intolerable but the physical sensations with which you live that become intolerable and you will do anything to make them go away.” (Bessel van der Kolk)

Elaine breathes slowly, in and out, for a few rounds of simple pranayama before she has to stop. Images too scary for her to describe race in and overwhelm her. After a few moments, with Jocelyn Jenkins, her therapist, sitting next to her, Elaine tries again. Several sessions later they move on to very basic, very slow sun salutations; she becomes aware of her muscles, noticing any resistance in her body, stopping when she gets too agitated.

In this interview, David Emerson discusses the rehabilitative role of physical movement, current research on the effects of yoga in recovery from trauma, the difficulties of placing blame in the context of inter-connection and how healing from past trauma begins in the present.